Tilting wagon-body.



J. LEDWINKA.

TILTING WAGON BODY.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 22, 1912.

lQo Patented May II, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. Lxa

I l o l. LEDWINK.

TILTING WAGON BODY.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 22, 1912.

hmm-ed May 11, 191:5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.v

ELASQAO JOSEPH LEDWINKA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

'rinrineV WAGON-Boni.'

Maaate..

Specification of' Letters Patent.

Patenten nay ii, isis.

Application led November 22, 1912. Serial No. 732,833.

. To all whom t may concern Be .it known that I, JOSEPH LEDWINKA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Tilting Wagon- Bodies, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to wagon bodies, and particularly to wagon bodies of the tilting type.

rllhe object of the invention is to provide a tilting wagon body which is strong and durable, simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

A further object isV to provide a wagon body of the nature referred to and which is composed of sheet metal plates formed and suitably pressed into the desired shape and assembled together and strengthened by ribs, with all parts welded together at their joints.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

rllhe invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and relation of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings -Figure 1 is a'view in sidel elevation of a4 tilting wagon body embodying the' principles of my invention. Fig.. 2 1s a view in elevation ofthe rear end` ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a similar View of a portion ',ofthefront end. Fig. 4 -is a broken view in fverti'cal section on the line 4;-, 4', Fig. 2. Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are broken detail views in section on the lines 5, 5; 6, 6; 7, 7 and 8, 8, respectively.

In some forms of delivery wagons the wagon body is supported so as to be tilted in order to spill out the coal, sand, grain or other material being transported thereby. Such wagon bodies are subjected to severe usage which quickly injures them unless they are made so heavy as to be expensive to manufacture and more difficult-to handle or to haul.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide a wagon body of the tilting type which secures lightness without sacrilicing anything of strength and rigidity, which is economical to manufacture and which is able to withstand without injury the hard rough usage to which such'bodies are ordinarily subjected.

In carrying out my invention I construct the body out .of sheet metal plates, suitably cut and shaped and assembled together and welded atthe joints thereof, and I stiften and strengthen the body by applying channel ribs to the exterior surface and along the open edges of the body. I also provide the body with a hinged door in the rear end thereof and with locking means at its front endto prevent the body from tilting until the lock is released and rIcprovide a lock for the hinged end door'to prevent said door from opening until said lock is released.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

numeral 10, designates the sheet metal plates forming the sides and bottom of the wagon body, 11, the sheet metal front end plate, and 12the sheet metal plate connecting the side plates at the rear end of the body above the/doorway therein. The plates or sheetsv forming the sides' of the body are flared in opposite directions or away from each other at their upper edges, so as to give the body opening. a dared mouth. The metal sheets formingV the sides and bottom of the body are preferably of such length as to extend all the way from one outwardly flared edge 13, to the other, being suitably bent intermediate its ends to form the transverse body shape. These sheets or plates are assembled andwelded to ether at their meeting edges to form, in e ect, a substantially integral sheet metal body throughout, the edges of the front end plate 11 and of the rear end plate 12 being similarly secured to the edges of the side plates 10, respectively proximate thereto. In practice, however, and in order to secure strength and rigidity, at the edges of the side and end plates, where they come together, I prefer to 4apply metal channel shaped ribs thereto. Such a corner or angle rib is shown at 14 between the side and end plates 10, 11, see Fig. 7. In this case the edge of one of the plates 10, 11, is bent so as to receive the atwise bearing contact of the other plate, adjacent its edge, as shown, and the edge-lip 15, of the channel rib is then placed latwise against the body plate, while at its other edge the channel rib is provided with a {iange 16, which lies flatwise against the surface of the other body plate adjacent its ed e, all the joints of these parts being wel` ed. At the rear end of the wagon body a similar channel rib 17, is employed to join the meeting edges of the body plates 10, 12. In this case the plates 10, 12 are brought edge to edge and rin the desired angular relation whilethe channel [rib 17 is applied over the corner or'angle soA formed by the plates, with its edge flanges 18, 19 respectivelyfbearing flatwise against the surfaces of the body plates 10, 12, adjacent their edges, as clearly shown in Fi 5.

.t suitable pointsintermediate the ends of the body I also provide channel ribs 20, and arrange the same toA extend vertically vof the sides and` on the outside surface thereof, and transverselyacross and underneath the bottom of the body, as seen'in Figs. 2 and 3, said ribs being made in pairs, the mates of each pair being welded together at their meeting ends underneath and at approximately the midwidth of the wagon body. These ribs 20 are preferably of substantially U-shape in cross section, as indicated in Fig. 6, and the edge flanges- 21, 22, thereof lie latwise against the outer surfacesof the body plates and are welded thereto. The ribs 20, are also preferably tapered toward their upper ends yand the yextreme upper ends vthereof are bent youtat its end-edges to the side edges of the body sides only at the upper portions thereof,

v said plate .extending downwardly only a Ashort distance, thereby leaving a space between lits lower .ed e and the floor :ofthe body sufficient to o'rm -.a doorway in -the rear end of'the wagon.' Thel upper edge of this end plate 12 Yis strengthened and stiif- 'ened by'a channel rib 23, the upper edge-of plate 12being received between the lipsf24, 25, of saidchannel rib, as seen in Fig. 4. The' lower edgev of plate 12,- is, similarly strengthened and stifened by a channel rib 26, which receivesn the lower edge of: late 12'between its lipsV 27, 28, the joints o the edges ofthe plate 12' and its respective ribs being welded. This makes a very strong,

' rigid, but light structure.

'.To the exterior surface of the end plate 12 is riveted or otherwise secured the metal brackets 29, which extend vertically across `the end plate 12 .-andv vnot only afford --strengthening means therefor but lalso they afford means for hingin thereto a rear end his rear end door or otherwise suitably secured to the exterior surface of the door plate 30 to strengthen the same and to afford hinge connections to tlie brackets 29. In theform shown the brackets 29 carry a hinge` rod 34v which is pivotally engaged by the upper ends `of brackets 33'. -The rear end door may be locked or retained in closed position in any suitable.v or convenient manner. I have 4showna simple arrangement wherein a locking lever 35, mounted upon the side of the vehicle body has its hooked end arranged to engage over a lug 60 carried at the edge of the end door. If desireda locking lever 35 may be located on each side of the door. By suitably releasing the engagement lof the locking levers from the lugs 60, the door will be free to open.- 'I have shown my invention as applied to a vehicle-body of the tilting type, the front end of the body being raised in any suitable l or convenient manner in order to tilt the same to permit the contents of the body t0 be delivered therefrom through the door- .way at the rear end. To this end the body or the side members 36l thereof, which are suitably ysecured thereto through brackets 37, carry hinge brackets 38, which take bearing upon a pivot shaft or rod 39, suitably supported in standards 40, carried by a frame, a portion of which is indicated at 41, Iand forms part of its chassis. By elevating the front end -of the body said body tilts about the pivot ro'd or shaft 39 as an vaxis. A lug or bracket 42 carried by the chassis -41 may serve' asa seat to supportqthe body .of the vehicle when in untilted position.

If desiredyand in order tolock the body against tilting movement, a locking lever43 may be arrangedtorengage av lug or projection 44 upon the'side of the body at its frontv end. A

1. If desired and' in order to suitably brace the sides ofthe body intermediate the ends thereof, and particularly at a point near the vupper edges of said sides, a brace rod 45 may, be `employed and passed through suitable lugs 46, 47, see Fig.`2, and clamped in place by a nut 418, or linany other suitable o`r convenient manner. f Thisaffords va most l simple and efficient arrangement for bracing the side walls of the vehicle body.

The bottom plate 50 of he wagon bodyv is formed into achannel" formation as indicated at` 51, Fig-4, at th'e'rear endof the ody. This affords ane'iicient strengthen- 'ing and rigidity at this point. 5" The' upper edge of the door plate 30 has a channel rib 52zapplied thereto for strengthening -purposes. 5 l

Having nowset forth `the object andA nature of my invention and a construction embodying the principles thereof, what I meente claim as new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A tilting wagon body composed of sheet metal plates each shaped to form a portion of the side Walls and bottom of the body, the said plates being assembled edge to edge, and having channel shaped reinforcing members applied to the exterior surface thereof at the joints, said channel members having laterally extending edge flanges respectively applied atwise against the surfaces of adjacent body plates, all of said parts being integrally secured together.

2. A tilting Wagon body composed of sheet metal plates each shaped to-form a transverse portion of the body, said body having a doorway opening therein, the body plate adjacent the doorway opening being bent into channel shape to form the sill of the doorway opening, the free edge of the channel being formed into a flange to lie' atwise against the bottom surface of the body plate, and integrally secured together.

In testimony whereof .l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing witnesses, on this 29th day of October A. D., 1912. I

JOSEPH LEDWNKA. Witnesses:

ALLEN M. STEARNE, B. L. DIEHL. 

